Lemondrop

Preparation for the job search now looks like this: Update résumé, write cover letters, reach out to contacts, make Twitter feed private, and delete that Mardi Gras photo album on Facebook.

And now at least one college will be lending a helping hand. Syracuse University recently purchased subscriptions to Brand-Yourself to help graduating seniors put their best face forward -- online -- as they embark on a job search.

Smart move, Syracuse. Nearly half of HR professionals admit to screening job applicants on social media sites, and a whopping 70 percent of recruiters and HR professionals have rejected applicants based on information that surfaced online. In fact, Syracuse first reached out to Brand-Yourself after observing that students were losing jobs and internships by mismanaging their online presence.

Now, the platform will help students build profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and optimize them in order to outrank negative search results on Google, then continue to monitor their evolving "brand." Mike Cahill, director of Syracuse's Career Services department told Mashable, "Brand-Yourself helps prepare our students for success in today's digital environment."

Will other schools follow suit? It would certainly help make those tuition dollars worth it and, after all, employed, successful alumni can only enhance a university's reputation.